David Crockett: His Life and Adventures

Forest, on the Riv

strous Voyage.-Narrow Escape.-New Electioneering Exploits.-Odd Speeches.-The Visit to Crockett's Cabin.-His Political

prises in a racy way, peculiarly characteristic of the man. The following nar

said they come to take an elk-hunt. I was glad to see 'em, invited 'em in, and after supper we cleaned our guns. I took down old Betsey, rubbed her up, greased her, and laid her away to rest. She is a mighty rough old p

were all mighty anxious. We got a bite, and saddled our horses. I went by to git a neighbor to drive for us, and off we started for the Harricane. My dogs looked mighty wolfish; they kept jumping on one another and growling.

ointed to an old bear, about three or four h

t to run, and he never broke till we got most upon him; but then he buckled for it, I tell you. When they overhauled him he just rared up on his hind legs, and he boxed the dogs 'bout at a mighty rate. He hugged old Tige

hey would kill some of my dogs. After we got tired seeing 'em fight, I went in among 'em, and the first time they got him down I socked my knife in the old bear. We then hung him up, and went on to take our elk-hunt. You

better humor, for the fight had just taken off the wiry edge. So I placed the strangers at the sta

le. I could hear nothing but one continued roar of all my dogs, coming right towards me. Though I was an old hunter, the music made my hair stand on end. Soon after they first started, I heard one gun go off, and my dogs stopped, but not long, for they took a little tack towards where I had

smoke blinded me so, that I couldn't see what I did; but as it cleared away, I caught a glimpse of only one of them going through the bushes; so I thought I had the other. I went up, and there lay the old buck kicking. I cut his throat, and by that time, Tiger and two of my dogs came up. I thou

round a doe elk the driver had killed; and one of 'em said he was sure he had killed one lower down. I asked him if he had horns. He said he didn't see any. I put the dogs on where he said he had shot, and they didn't go fur before they came to a halt. I went up, and th

and 1824. Colonel Alexander was then the representative, in the National Legislature, of the district in which Crockett lived. He had

that. It was a step above my knowledge; an

ing. He was a true man of the woods with no ambition for any better home than the log cabin he occupied. There was no excitement so dear to him as the pursuit and capture of a grizzly bear. There is nothing

uilding the boat and splitting out the staves, and engaged himself in these labors "till the bears got fat." He then plunged into the woods, and in two weeks killed fifteen. The whole winte

ssissippi. It was the first time he had seen the rush of these mighty waters. There was before him a boat voyage of

he river, and I soon discovered that my pilot was as ignorant of the business as myself. I hadn't gone far before I determined to lash the two boats together

l rather not. But we couldn't do any other way. In a short distance we got into what is called the Devil's Elbow. And if any place in the wide creation has its own proper name I thought it was this. Here we ha

that we could not take them much any way except the way they wanted to go, and just the way the current would carry them.

rd land, than floating along on the water, when a fellow had to go ahead whether he was exactly willing or not. The hatch-way of the cabin came slap down, right through the to

t timber had lodged. The nature of such a place would be, as everybody knows, to suck the boats down and turn them right under this raft; and the uppermost boat would, of course, be suck'd down and go under first. As soon as we struck, I bulged for my hatchway, as the boat was turning under sure enough. But when I got to it,

through, and hollered as loud as I could roar, as the boat I was in hadn't yet quite filled with water up to my head; and the hands who were next to the raft, seeing my arms out, and heari

to get out in any way, even without shirt or hide; as before I could straighten myself on the boat next to the raft, the one they pull'd me out of went entirely under, and I have never seen it any more to this day. We all escaped on to the

e I was sitting there, in the night, floating about on the drift, I felt happier and better off than I ever had in my life

ried us down as far as Memphis. Here I met with a friend, that I never can forget as long as I am able to go ahead at anything; it was

om the raft, and keep on down the river. We got on a boat at Memphis, that was going down, and so cut out. Our largest boat, we were informed, had

uch mind to try it any more. I now returned home again, and, as the next August was the Congressional election, I be

l Alexander and General Arnold. Money was needed to carry the election, and Crockett had no money. He resolved, however, to try his chances. A friend loane

as well as the other gentlemen, for they all treat in that country; not to get elected, of course, for

, who had been public surveyor. General Arnold was a lawyer of very respectable attainments. Neither of these men considere

Congressional affairs, and had sense enough to be aware that it was not best for him to attempt to speak upon subjects of which he was entirely ignorant. He made one of his funny speeches, very

he nervous temperament predominated in the man, and he was easily annoyed. While speaking, a large flock of guinea-hens came along, whose peculiar and noisy cry all will remember who have ever heard it. Arnold was greatly disturbed, a

e politeness even to allude to me in your speech. But when my little friends the guinea-hens came up,

ame, the popular bear-hunter beat both of his competitors by twenty-seven hundred and forty-seven votes. Thus David Crockett, unable to read and barely able to sign his nam

me had now become quite renowned. This was just after Crockett's election to Congress, but before he had set out for Washington. There was no road leading to

mblest and least tasteful of log huts stood in the centre. It was truly a cabin, a mere shelter from the weather. There was no yard; there we

dressed in very plain homespun attire, with a black fur cap upon his head. He was a finely proportioned man, about six feet high, apparently forty-five years of age, and of very frank, p

tt's residence, I presu

eply, with a smi

eeing that gentleman befo

," was the courtly r

"I have ridden much out of my way to spen

the only care I have is that I cannot accommodate them as well as I could wish. I have no corn, but my

very courteously introduced him to his broth

ed mighty poor, and have been rooting 'long ever since. But I hate apologies. What I live upon always, I think a friend

ly, and presented a general aspect of comfort. Many trophies of the chase were in the house, and spread around t

n her household work. Colonel Crockett, with much apparent pleasure, conducted his guest over the small patch of ground he had grubbed and was cultivating. He exhibited his growing peas and pumpkins, and his little field of corn, with as much apparent pleasure as an Illinois farmer would now point out his hundreds of acres of waving grain. The hunter seemed su

early all Crockett's constituents were strong Jackson-men. Crockett, who afte

and supporter of General Jackson upon his principles, as he had laid t

of its acts were wise and efficient, and would have received his cordial support. He admired Mr. Clay, but had objections to him. He was opposed to the Tariff, yet, I think, a supporter of the United States Bank. He seemed to have the most horrible objection to binding himself to any man or set of men. He said, 'I would as lie

hat he had not money enough to pay his expenses to Washington. His election had cost him one hundred and fifty do

d rifle, and took the stage, where I met with much variety of character, and amused myself when my humor p

re I was an entire stranger, the room was crowded, and the crowd did not give way that I might come to the fire. I was roo

better hurrah for hell, an

e you? said

sippi, leap the Ohio, ride upon a streak of lightning, and slip without a scratch down a honey-locust. I can whip my weight in wildcats, and, if any ge

. He was afterward asked if this wondrous outburst of slang was entirely unpremeditated. He said that it was; that it had all pop

n the bank in Nashville, and enclosed it to my friend. And I may say, in truth, I sent this money with a might

, whose manners had been formed in the courts of Europe. Crockett, totally unacquainted with the usages of soc

I knew, whether I ate dinner with the President or not was a matter of no importance, for my constituents were not to be benefited by it. I did not go to court the President, for I was opposed to him in principle, and had no favors to ask at his

-party, which went the round of all the papers as veritable history

nks I, who's afeard. If I didn't, I wish I may be shot. Says I, 'Mr. Adams, I am Mr. Crockett, from Tennessee.' So, says he, 'How d'ye

t I liked. At last I took my seat beside a fat goose, and I helped myself to as much of it as I wanted. But I hadn't took three bites, when I looked away up the table at a man the

ugh I seed a white man walking off with my plate. I says, 'Hello, mister, bring back my plate.' He fetched it back in a hurry, as you

laugh. Then says I, 'Mister, laugh if you please; but I don't half-like sich tricks upon travellers.' I then filled

e shot! Then I saw a man coming along carrying a great glass thing, with a glass handle below, something like a candlestick. It was stuck full of little glass cups, with something in them t

representative should be thus held up to the contempt of the nation, that Crockett felt constrained to present a reliable refutation of the story. He therefor

ood deal of conversation with you. Your behavior there was, I thought, perfectly becoming and proper.

ngress were equally exp

Jackson was inaugurated President of the United States. It may be doubted whether there ever was a more honest, conscientious man in Congress than David Crockett. His celebrated motto, "Be sure that you are right, and then go ahead," seem

't 'hurrah' for his name, the hue and cry was to be raised against me, and I was to be sacrificed, if possible. His famous, or rather I should say his infamous Indian bill was brought forward, and I opposed it from the purest motives in the world. Several of my colleagues got around me, and told me how well they loved me, and that I was ruining myself. They said this was a

Jackson or any one else; at any rate, I was of age, and determined to trust them. I voted against this Indian bill, and my conscience yet tells me that I gave a good, honest vote, and one

that I had turned against Jackson. This was considered the unpardonable sin. I was hunted down like a wild varment, and in this hunt every little newspaper in the

bears. But having once tasted the pleasures of political life, and the excitements of Washington, his silent rambles in the woods had lost much of their a